A Llanelli tennis player has been picked to play at the Australian Open in January, and is less than £1,000 short of the money to get there.
Josh Kerr, who trains mainly at Llanelli Tennis and Squash Club, has been selected for the Grand Slam’s competition for players with intellectual impairments in Melbourne.
An online appeal to pay for the trip had raised £1,285 of its £2,200 target by Sunday evening, from 43 donations.
Wales’ number one and a bronze medal for Great Britain
Kerr is Wales’ top-ranked learning disability player and 14th in the world in his category, according to the appeal.
It says he is also second on the Lawn Tennis Association’s learning disability leaderboard, and reached the semi-finals of this year’s national finals at the All England Club.
In July he won bronze for Great Britain in the men’s team event at the Virtus European Summer Games in Bydgoszcz, Poland, alongside Aidan Moody.
He has also won a string of Grade 4 and Grade 5 tournaments across the UK, the appeal says.
Llanelli town councillor Shaun Greaney, who is backing the appeal, said Kerr had “already accomplished something extraordinary”.
‘Anything but straightforward’
Kerr has autism and ADHD, according to the appeal, and has had to fight for the coaching, courts and chances other players take for granted.
It describes his route to the top of the Welsh game as “anything but straightforward”.
Tennis gives him “confidence, purpose, enjoyment and a sense of belonging”, the appeal says.
What the £2,200 would pay for
The money would cover return flights for Kerr and the support he needs to travel, along with accommodation, transport, coaching and competition costs, the appeal says.
It says the cost of competing abroad is more than Kerr and his family can meet on their own. “Without financial support, this incredible opportunity may not be possible,” it adds.
The appeal, set up by Will Smart, describes selection for one of the sport’s four Grand Slams as recognition of Kerr’s “commitment, resilience, and years of dedication”.
It asks businesses, sports clubs and neighbours to give what they can, or simply to share the page.
The appeal says the effort is “about showing that disability should never be a barrier to ambition”.
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